Re: New Prescriptions for Me

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy

I started taking methotrexate (MTX) and folic acid in the mid 90's. I

was freaked too cuz it is a chemo drug. It's very low dose for RA tho.

When I was prescribed MTX, my RD gave me a prescription for zofran for

nausea. I never needed the zofran. When I first started I had a little

queasiness and was fatigued. It went away after a week or two. When my

dosage is upped, I do get that same feeling again for a little bit but

it goes away. I'm now on 20mgs a week and humira. Never had any other

side effects from it. I take it on Friday and feel a little tired, but

I take it on Friday so I can rest up for the weekend if needed.

Good luck

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie

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Kathy Jeanson wrote:

To the group who knows....:-)

This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of

new meds, methotrexate and folic acid. Can anyone tell me what to

expect. My doctor told me I shouldn't experience any ill effects. When

she told me methotrexate was a chemo drug, it scared me to death. But I

found out an aunt of mine used it and she said it worked wonderfully

for her.

I'd love to hear what anyone has to say

about this treatment.

Thanks alot!

Kathy

[Guest guest]

My wife has been on Methotrexate (MTX) for close to a year now and she

hasn't had any side effects. She's on a lot of other meds too. The MTX

helped her a lot, but as the RA progresses sometimes stronger meds are

needed. She just started Humira injections last week.

Every time she starts a new med it is very scary because of all the

warnings about side effects, etc. But so far she hasn't had any major

probs with any of her meds. (knock wood) :-)

Good luck,

Don & Eileen

Kathy Jeanson wrote:

> To the group who knows....:-)

> This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of new meds, methotrexate and

> folic acid. Can anyone tell me what to expect. My doctor told me I

> shouldn't experience any ill effects. When she told me methotrexate was

> a chemo drug, it scared me to death. But I found out an aunt of mine

> used it and she said it worked wonderfully for her.

> I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about this treatment.

> Thanks alot!

> Kathy

[Guest guest]

Kathy Jeanson <katshapug@...> wrote: To the group who knows....:-) This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of new meds, methotrexate and folic acid. Can anyone tell me what to expect. My doctor told me I shouldn't experience any ill effects. When she told me methotrexate was a chemo drug, it scared me to death. But I found out an aunt of mine used it and she said it worked wonderfully for her. I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about this treatment. Thanks alot! Kathy Hi Kathy , I'm I've been takev it well both them for going on 2 yrs now with no real problems just if i'm in a lot of pain i will sleep alot the weekend with it but thats good for me anyway as when thats the only time i'm not in pain anyway so it has not had no bad side effects on me at all . Most times now I can not tell i've taken it .

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[Guest guest]

hi, Kathy! I tried methotrexate for 18 months, but gave it up as it elevated my liver blood testings. the drug made me a litte queasey, so I took it on Friday nite and slept the effects off. hope you do well on it = gentle hugs! MarciaKathy Jeanson <katshapug@...> wrote: To the group who knows....:-) This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of new meds, methotrexate and folic acid. Can anyone tell me what to expect. My doctor told me I shouldn't experience any ill effects. When she told me methotrexate was a chemo drug, it scared me to death. But I found out an aunt of mine used

it and she said it worked wonderfully for her. I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about this treatment. Thanks alot! Kathy

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message-----From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ]On Behalf Of Marcia StoyleSent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 2:05 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: New Prescriptions for Me

hi, Kathy! I tried methotrexate for 18 months, but gave it up as it elevated my liver blood testings. the drug made me a litte queasey, so I took it on Friday nite and slept the effects off. hope you do well on it = gentle hugs! MarciaKathy Jeanson <katshapug@...> wrote:

To the group who knows....:-)

This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of new meds, methotrexate and folic acid. Can anyone tell me what to expect. My doctor told me I shouldn't experience any ill effects. When she told me methotrexate was a chemo drug, it scared me to death. But I found out an aunt of mine used it and she said it worked wonderfully for her.

I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about this treatment.

Thanks alot!

Kathy

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

I want to thank you all for letting me know about your experiences with methotrexate. You have been a great help. I'll be starting this, this weekend.

Thanks again!

Take care

Kathy

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Kathy,

I was on Methotrexate and folic acid. Please keep in mind that we are all individuals and react differently to meds. I hope your rheummy did a baseline chest X-ray before starting the methotrexate. There is a side effect that can be fatal if left untreated called drug induced pneumonitis. This is a lung problem and starts with dry hacking cough.

Most people on MTX take it at bedtime and on Friday or on a day when you have nothing to of importance the next day. The reason for that is if you get nausea you will be asleep and most find they are quite fatigued and tired the day after taking the MTX. The folic acid is suppose to help with the fatigue, nausea and hair loss..which are potential side effects. You made need to adjust the amount of minimized the side effects. There is a drug call leukovorin that can also be used to help minimized the side effects.

Now When I was on it I had a horrible time I had most if not all the side effects...nausea, vomiting, horrible diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, headache, mouth sores, throat sores, eye sores, genitalia sores, drug induced pnemonitis. I got so tired of the side effects that I stopped the drugs despite my rheummy raving on such great labs...though I went from normal hemoglobin to anemic while on it. I was taking folic acid 5mg/daily and leukovorin on the day I took my methotrexate.

Keep in mind that if you have lots of problems with GI symptoms you can also switch from pills to injections. I have tried both and the side effects for me were just as bad either way. It was chemo and I had all the chemo side effects.

Toni

In a message dated 11/17/2005 11:15:21 A.M. Central Standard Time, Rheumatoid Arthritis writes:

Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:39:20 -0500 From: "Kathy Jeanson" <katshapug@...>Subject: New Prescriptions for MeTo the group who knows....:-)This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of new meds, methotrexate and folicacid. Can anyone tell me what to expect. My doctor told me I shouldn'texperience any ill effects. When she told me methotrexate was a chemo drug,it scared me to death. But I found out an aunt of mine used it and she saidit worked wonderfully for her.I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about this treatment.Thanks alot!Kathy

[Guest guest]

I have had no problems with it but I also did not get a lot of success till I added Remicade along with it. The combintion works well for me but many people are benefitted by Methotrexate alone. For chemo patients it is used at much higher doses than usually used for RA. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: Kathy Jeanson

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 11:41 AM

Subject: RE: New Prescriptions for Me

-----Original Message-----From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ]On Behalf Of Marcia StoyleSent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 2:05 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: New Prescriptions for Me

hi, Kathy! I tried methotrexate for 18 months, but gave it up as it elevated my liver blood testings. the drug made me a litte queasey, so I took it on Friday nite and slept the effects off. hope you do well on it = gentle hugs! MarciaKathy Jeanson <katshapug@...> wrote:

To the group who knows....:-)

This weekend, I'll be starting a couple of new meds, methotrexate and folic acid. Can anyone tell me what to expect. My doctor told me I shouldn't experience any ill effects. When she told me methotrexate was a chemo drug, it scared me to death. But I found out an aunt of mine used it and she said it worked wonderfully for her.

I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about this treatment.

Thanks alot!

Kathy

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/2005 6:44:17 P.M. Central Standard Time, aclavern33@... writes:

Kathy,

I was on Methotrexate and folic acid. Please keep in mind that we are all individuals and react differently to meds. I hope your rheummy did a baseline chest X-ray before starting the methotrexate. There is a side effect that can be fatal if left untreated called drug induced pneumonitis. This is a lung problem and starts with dry hacking cough.

Most people on MTX take it at bedtime and on Friday or on a day when you have nothing to of importance the next day. The reason for that is if you get nausea you will be asleep and most find they are quite fatigued and tired the day after taking the MTX. The folic acid is suppose to help with the fatigue, nausea and hair loss..which are potential side effects. You made need to adjust the amount of minimized the side effects. There is a drug call leukovorin that can also be used to help minimized the side effects.

I am on the lowest dose of MTX right now, which is 10 mg, plus Enbrel once a week, Celebrex and 5 mg of Prednisone. I've been on this combo since early October of this year,

and am finally flare-free.

I haven't had any side effects from the 10 mg of MTX - This time.

In the last 2 years I have been on various doses of MTX and Prednisone, plus Arava, which

is bad stuff. I had a bad reaction this past July with my first injected dose of MTX, which was

equal to 20 mg and wound up in the emergency room with vomiting.

So we switched right away to Enbrel and cut the MTX and the Arava.

I had a good 6 weeks with the MTX still in my system (Doc says it stays in the system for

4 weeks) and the Enbrel. In reading the info that came with Enbrel, the pharmaceutical company recommends that Enbrel be taken with MTX.

So the MTX wore off, I was still on Enbrel and started having a mega-flare, that nothing would

touch, not even upping the Prednisone. (We're talking Tylenol 3 w/codiene time).

So my Rheumy is talking Remicade, which I had decided I wasn't going to do, so I go to him

and tell him "this is what we are going to do - Stay on Enbrel, re-start the lowest dose of MTX

and see how it goes." Since I was fine with MTX still in my system and had started Enbrel, I had a hunch that it would work for me.

He agreed! He said if I wasn't better by Nov 17th, then he wanted to start Remicade, since

he would have more control over the dose.

I've been flare-free for 6 weeks, and do not have any side effects from the meds.

I did complain a little about the Enbrel injections burning some of the time, Rheumy recommended that I let it warm up a little longer - like 45 mins.

I also put myself back on 1 mg of folic acid once a day, which is the recommended dose for me. My Rheumy is happy, and my General Practitioner - whom I've been seeing for the past 22 years was practically doing cart wheels when I visited him last. I told him that I do not

get tired anymore, but that I was having a hard time adjusting to that as I've been exhausted

for so many years, that I didn't know what "normal" was. He said what I am feeling is normal. It's really nice to have such nice, attentive doctors. I picked a really nice Rheumy, too.

Becky

[Guest guest]

Becky- I am on Remicade. I have been for several years. It was many years without MTX before I had to reintroduce MTX and it does wipe you out. Folate does help and a multi vitamin. I take MTX when I sleep because it will make you nauseous. You might try a different immunopressant like Imuran. Be well, Deborah